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April 15, 2009

Matsuzaka Has "Arm Fatigue"

A Red Sox spokesman said Daisuke Matsuzaka left last night's game after one inning because of "arm fatigue". After the game, Dice did not agree:

... asked, directly, about the fact that he might be experiencing physical issues, Matsuzaka said, "Not in particular. ... I think that I'm OK physically."

Terry Francona:

We talked to him the other day because he expressed a couple days ago some kind of general soreness or fatigue in the back of his shoulder from the WBC. ... Came out of the WBC and felt like he had ramped up too quick, all the things we worry about. Then he threw his bullpen [in Anaheim] and assured us he was fine. I'm going to have to take some blame there because, after talking to him, I thought that we were in pretty good shape.

It sounds from this report that the Red Sox knew before the game began that Dice might not be sharp.

His coaches had warned Justin Masterson they didn't know exactly how much or for how long they could count on Daisuke Matsuzaka last night. When the game began and Masterson took his seat in foul territory along the rightfield line, he knew he would be the first reliever called upon. "Be ready," they had told him.

Pitchers have been experiencing "dead arm syndrome" for decades before the WBC existed, so perhaps this is all fairly normal. Or not. The possible disconnect between Matsuzaka and the Red Sox -- as mused on by Tony Massarotti -- is also worth watching.

[Dice and] the Sox clearly are not seeing eye-to-eye. According to Francona, Matsuzaka had some soreness following his season-opening start against Tampa Bay last week at Fenway Park. According to Matsuzaka, nothing "in particular" is ailing him. ...

The Sox were annoyed by Matsuzaka's workload in the WBC and have since chosen their words carefully ... Quite simply, the Sox believe that Matsuzaka did too much too soon, and they are probably right. ...

[T]he problems here seem to run much, much deeper than any discussion the Sox had with Matsuzaka following last week's game against Tampa. Clearly, the team and pitcher have not been on the same page with regard to the pitcher's spring workload and his role in the WBC, and Matsuzaka seems to be getting tired of the suggestion that the event is detrimental to his longer-term availability to the club.